We hope you will join us for Deep Rest to welcome in Winter, take a break from the busyness of the holiday season, and to reconnect to yourself. At elemental, we believe that true wellness begins with repairing our disconnection from our authentic selves and Nature. Although we will be indoors for our practice, Nature is always around and in us. 

The day of practice will start with connecting to our senses while we move our bodies. Rooted in yoga and intuitive movement, the gentle movement practice is intended to release tension and wake up any stuck energy in your muscles and fascia. After moving, we will transition to stillness for a 45 minute yoga nidra practice. We will be building yoga nidra nests of blankets and bolsters to support your body best. While there will be blankets and bolsters at the studio (enough for everyone to have one each), we encourage you to bring lots of cozy blankets, pillows, and cushions to optimize your comfort.

What is yoga nidra? It is a practice sometimes translated as “yogic sleep.” This process is a deep meditation where the body is meant to rest as though you’re asleep, while your brain stays aware. The practice is structured to bring your brain into theta brainwaves (a hypnagogic state), where your subconscious and limiting beliefs live. Our theme is Deep Rest, so the yoga nidra will reflect this theme of the wisdom of rest and beauty of slowness (quite contrary to our societal pace). It’s common for people to fall asleep during the practice, even when setting the intention to stay awake. We are not at all offended if you fall asleep, we value rest! But if you start to snore, we will gently wake you so you don’t impact the experience of everyone around you.

We will close the day and encourage you to plan a quiet evening after. A warm nourishing meal at home, a warm shower or bath, and an early bedtime is ideal!